Erick Erickson, the longtime, ultraconservative Atlanta radio host, just unloaded a screed that whacked both Democrats and Republicans.
asserted
that → unload → Democrats
"Both sides serve up a crap sandwich of a candidate, point across the aisle at the other side’s crap sandwich, and insist you have to eat theirs because the other one is worse."
In keeping with the culinary metaphor, this struck me because I've long felt that national politics has increasingly become a stew of hypocrisy.
asserted
politics → serve → hypocrisy
To watch Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders endorse Graham Platner, the exceedingly weird Maine Senate candidate with a Nazi tattoo, was stomach-turning.
asserted
Warren → watch → tattoo
You just know the liberal wing would have savaged him if he was a Republican.
asserted
he → know → him
They and other Dems finally jumped off the bandwagon when news emerged that Platner's former girlfriend alleged that he had raped her.
asserted
he → jump → her
Republicans were behind North Carolina Rep. Chuck Edwards despite mounting allegations that he had fostered a hostile work environment and engaged in sexual harassment.
asserted
he → mount → harassment
But then the House ethics committee called for his censure for inappropriate actions toward two female staffers.
asserted
committee → call → staffers
The congressman showered them with gifts (jewelry totaling over $1,000, designer purses, guns, shoes, flowers, a laptop and cell phone, KitchenAid mixer, robotic vacuums, vacations, tickets to performances, and one-on-one dinners, if you must know).
asserted
you → shower → one
His fellow North Carolina lawmaker, Sen. Ted Budd, then urged Edwards to bow out of the race, and the congressman quickly complied.
asserted
congressman → urge → race
"Cycle after cycle," Erickson says, "we never get better candidates.
asserted
we → say → candidates
We get more corrupt and more terrible ones, and we are told once again that we must vote for them or the republic will fall...
asserted
republic → get → them
The doomsday prophecies are simply how the parties dupe voters into holding their noses for their preferred perversions."
asserted
parties → dupe → perversions
If you look at the apocalyptic rhetoric in this year's campaigns, that's undoubtedly true.
asserted
that → look → campaigns
Everything depends on whether you have a D or R after your name.
asserted
you → depend → name
It's a master class in selective outrage, and if your target switched parties, you'd immediately change your stance.
asserted
you → switch → stance
There is so much anger in the air right now–with war, inflation, soaring prices–that liberals are demonizing conservatives and vice versa.
asserted
liberals → be → conservatives
Social media has often become a forum for sheer hatred.
asserted
media → become → hatred
I'll leave it to you to decide which side is worse, or whether you're in the pox-on-both-houses camp.
asserted
you → leave → camp
There are huge policy differences between the two parties, but most voters don't study that intently.
asserted
voters → be → that
They size up the candidates' character.
asserted
They → size → character
If they are disillusioned, there's a good chance that many will just stay home.
asserted
many → be → ?
Amid the predictions of a blue wave – despite the fact that the GOP has a much bigger war chest – veteran political analyst Charlie Cook says this about independent voters: "They tend to be very fickle.
asserted
They → say → voters
They read, watch, and listen to the news less than partisans.
asserted
They → read → partisans
They tend to get buyer’s remorse and turn on whoever they voted for two years earlier."
asserted
they → tend → whoever
Extremist candidates, once deemed fringe figures, have become more common, especially among the Democratic socialists who are winning primaries.
asserted
who → deem → primaries
Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic Senate nominee in Michigan, had to apologize last month after making sympathetic comments about a terrorist who attacked a synagogue.
asserted
who → have → synagogue
He's also campaigned with far-left streamer Hasan Piker, who's said America "deserved 9/11."
asserted
America → campaign → 9/11
Darializa Avila Chevalier, who won with the backing of New York’s socialist mayor, Zohran Mamdani, has called Joe Biden a "rapist," has wanted police and prisons abolished, and was arrested for helping take over Columbia’s Hamilton Hall.
asserted
police → win → Hall
On the other side, Texas Republican Ken Paxton was impeached by his own party.
asserted
Paxton → impeach → party
Gone are the days when President George H.W. Bush felt he had to apologize for calling Bill Clinton and Al Gore "these two bozos."
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he → go → Clinton
In today’s toxic atmosphere, Erick Erickson says he's been threatened and harassed for his stances.
asserted
he → say → stances
It's hard to feel proud of our political culture right now.
asserted
It → feel → culture
But I don't see it ever changing back to the bygone era when Ronald Reagan and Tip O'Neill would battle by day and share a drink after work.
asserted
Reagan → see → work
The Aporia
